Journal of Physical Chemistry & Biophysics
Open Access

Maria Cristina Vinci

Biography

Maria Cristina Vinci PharmD, PhD is Senior Scientist at Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Milan Italy. She obtained her PharmD diploma magna cum laude at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy. In 2004 she received her International PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology with University of Padua, Italy and University of Innsbruck, Austria. During her PhD training her research was focused on determining the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vascular remodeling as pharmaco-therapeutic targets in response to vascular injury. At that time she joined for one year the laboratory of Prof Cantley at the Department of Cell Biology of Harvard Medical School, where she studied the role of PI3kinase/Akt on cardiac hypertrophy. From 2004 to 2008, she worked as ‘’Research Associate” at the Department of Pharmacology of the University of Florence. Her research was aimed at identifying molecular/cellular inflammatory mechanisms involved in vascular remodeling, atherosclerosis generation and progression. By the use of selective pharmacological inhibitors she characterized the biological function and downstream signaling pathways of the tyrosine receptor FLT-1 in vascular smooth muscle cell exposed to hypoxia as well as the biological role of alpha1D-adrenoceptors in endothelial cells. Contextually, she pursued specialist training in pharmacology, obtaining (2007) her Pharmacolgy diploma magna cum laude at the University of Florence, Italy. Based on this research and fellowship training he has received several awards and honors, such as: a) Research Fellow of Banca San Paolo of Torin (2005); b) Research Award of Italian Society of Pharmacology (SIF)(2003). During those years she extended her initial research interests to endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) biology and their potential use in regenerative medicine. These studies introduced her into the field of stem cell biology that, along with her expertise in vascular biology and angiogenesis, allowed her to also obtain several collaborations and qualified publications in tumor and cancer stem cell biology (2007-2010). She is serving as an editorial member of several reputed journals like PloS ONE, World Journal of Life Sciences and Medical Research, World Journal of Young Researchers, Trends Journal of Sciences Research, Global Journal of Stem Cell Biology and Transplantation & expert Reviewer for journals like Stem Cells, PloS ONE, World Journal of Life Sciences and Medical Research, World Journal of Young Researchers,Journal of Stem Cells Research, Development and Therapy. She has authored 25 research articles and 1 Book Chapter. She is a member of several Learned Society like American Heart Association (AHA), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Italian Society for Atherosclerosis Study (SISA), Italian Society of Cardiovascular Research (SIRC) and Italian Society of Pharmacology (SIF).

Research Interest

Currently, her research is aimed at understanding and identifying epigenetic mechanisms underlying EPC dysfunction. EPCs contribute to the maintenance of vascular turnover and homeostasis, and to the neovascularization of ischemic tissue. The functional impairment of these cells, as consequence of cardiovascular risk factor effects, (e.g. hypercholesterolemia, hypertension diabetes), may be responsible for early endothelial dysfunction and late cardiovascular disease events. Despite the increasing number of studies and strategies aimed at restoring innate EPC functions, the molecular mechanism underlying EPC dysfunction is still poorly understood. She believes that altered EPC function is the result of aberrant and permanent epigenetic modifications induced by pathologic extracellular environments promoted by cardiovascular risk factors.

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